New this fiscal year, BC Film + Media's Development Program "B" of the Television and Film Financing Program (TFFP) has short-listed 14 scripts from 68 funding applications received. Through this program, BC Film + Media offers recoupable development advances to British Columbia writers of dramatic projects destined for theatrical release which may not have secured interest from the marketplace.

"We are pleased to have expanded the TFFP to include this special focus on creative talent," reported Rob Egan, President and CEO of BC Film + Media. "We are committed to supporting the ongoing development of British Columbia writers through this program."

In the next phase of the program, short-listed producer/writer teams are invited to pitch their project to BC Film + Media for final decision-making. BC Film + Media will release information regarding projects funded through both its Development Programs later this spring.

Projects up for consideration include "Alaska Highway Two-Step" (Producers Nicholas Kendall and Gretchen Jordan-Bastow, Writer Laurie Finstad Kniznik), "The Critical Pound" (Producer/Writer James Dunnison), "Children and Idiots" (Producers Andrew Currie and Blake Corbet, Writers Trent Carlson and Grant Buday), "Desolation Sound" (Producer Scott Weber, Writer Glynis Davies), "El Camino" (Producer/Writer: Blake Corbet), "Flower and Garnet" (Producer Trish Dolman, Writer Keith Behrman), "Karena and Eve" (Producers Julia Kwan and Jessica Bradford, Writer Julia Kwan), "Punk Not Dead" (Producer Penelope Buitenhuis, Writers Penelope Buitenhuis and Mia Wood, "Rosser Rats" (Producer Karen Lam, Writer Rick Hohn), "Slipped A Mickey" (Producer Mary Anne Waterhouse, Writer David Brisbin), "The Taxidermist" (Producers Jonathon Kay, Ron Chartier and Joseph Fitzpatrick,Writer Rodger Cove), "That Summer" (Producer Simon Capet, Writer Ken Eisner), "To Love and To Perish" (Producer Bill Thumm, Writers Dan Kalla, Geoff Lyster and Duncan Miller), "The Trick at the End of the World" (Producer/Writer Justin MacGregor).

"We were impressed by the number of quality feature scripts applying this year. While we cannot fund all projects on the short-list, we feel confident that all of these projects are worthy of support," said Jennifer Snyder, Operations Manager - TFFP.

BC Film + Media is a privately-administered, non-profit society established in 1987 by the provincial government with a mandate to expand and diversify the cultural industries of film and video in British Columbia. The Society gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture.